# Red-belted Bracket (*Fomitopsis*)

The Red-belted Bracket is a bright red fungus that grows on trees. It has a beautiful belt of color and is fun to spot in the woods!

- **Category:** [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fungi)
- **Rarity:** Rare
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** On decaying trees in forests
- **Also known as:** Red-belted Polypore, Red-belted Shelf Fungus

![Red-belted Bracket](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771424775/objects/5121.jpg)

## Appearance

The Red-belted Bracket is a shelf-like fungus with a distinctive red or orange band near its growing edge. Its upper surface ranges from grey to brown, often with concentric growth rings, while the underside is a smooth, creamy white.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Fungi
- **Phylum:** Basidiomycota
- **Class:** Agaricomycetes
- **Order:** Polyporales
- **Family:** Fomitopsidaceae
- **Genus:** Fomitopsis

## Interesting facts

- If you cut it open, you can see rings, just like a tree, showing its age!
- It feels like a piece of wood, not a soft mushroom, because it's so tough!
- Some people once used dried pieces of this fungus to sharpen their tools!
- This fungus creates thousands of tiny spores from its smooth white underside every day!

## Special abilities

- **Tree Surgeon:** Red-belted Bracket can break down tough dead wood, helping recycle nutrients back into the forest soil.
- **Time Traveler:** Red-belted Bracket has a unique ability to grow new layers each year, allowing it to live for decades.
- **Tough Shield:** Red-belted Bracket has a very hard, woody texture that protects it from many hungry creatures.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 3-15 cm
- **Edible:** inedible
- **Size:** 10-40 cm
- **Growth Substrate:** wood
- **Season:** Year-round
- **Spore Color:** White

## Ecological connections

- **Parasitizes:** [Sitka Spruce](https://www.snappit.app/explore/sitka-spruce) (*Picea sitchensis*) — causes brown heart rot in living trees
- **Parasitizes:** [Paper Birch](https://www.snappit.app/explore/paper-birch) (*Betula papyrifera*) — infects weakened or injured hardwoods
- **Eats:** Polypore Beetle (*Cis boleti*) — larvae and adults feed on the fungus

## Traits

- [Spore Producing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spore-producing): Spore-producing organisms reproduce by releasing small, often single-celled, reproductive units called spores.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.
- [Longevous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/longevous): This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind.

## Collections

- [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fungi)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Do not pick or eat anything you find. Some plants and mushrooms can be harmful.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Red-belted Bracket?

Compare the cap shape, the underside, the stem and base, and whether the fungus grows on wood or soil. Some fungi have gills, others pores or teeth. A cap seen only from above often hides the most useful features. Mushroom Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Red-belted Bracket?

3-15 cm

### Is Red-belted Bracket edible?

inedible

### How big is Red-belted Bracket?

10-40 cm

### Where is Red-belted Bracket usually found?

On decaying trees in forests

### What does Red-belted Bracket grow on?

wood

### When is Red-belted Bracket in season?

Year-round

### What color are Red-belted Bracket spores?

White

## More Fungi

- [Field Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/field-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Button Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/button-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Portobello Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/portobello-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Shiitake](https://www.snappit.app/explore/shiitake) (*Lentinula*)

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Source: [Red-belted Bracket: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-belted-bracket)